Understanding Garment Ease
Garments must account for body dimensions, layers worn underneath, body movement, fabric characteristics and style. To achieve this, patternmakers add extra width to garments, called 'ease'.
What is Garment Ease?
Garment Ease is the difference between the body measurements and the finished garment measurements. The amount of ease depends on:
Fabric Stretch
Stretchy fabrics with elastane or knits need less ease, sometimes even minus ease.
Non-stretch fabrics like woven materials require more ease.
Layering
Clothes worn over other layers, like jackets and coats, need more ease to fit comfortably over inner garments.
Movement
Garment ease is added to key areas such as the chest, waist, hips, sleeve, crotch and thighs. These areas are adjusted to allow for natural movements like bending, reaching, walking, and sitting, while maintaining comfort and functionality.
Side Note: Higher armholes improve arm mobility but feel restrictive if too close to the body. Lower armholes are more comfortable but need additional chest ease to maintain movement ability when raising the arms.
Style and Design
Ease is also added to create a certain aesthetic such as a skinny or an oversized look.
How Ease Works in Different Garments
Body circumferences are measured in total around the body e.g. 39" for the chest.
Garment measurements are taken from side to side when the garment lays flat on a surface, resulting in only half of the total garment width e.g. 22" for the chest.
This approach also ensures not to confuse body measurements with garment measurements.
Formula to calculate ease:
(Garment Measurement x 2) - (Body Measurement) = Ease
Underwear
Made from stretchy materials, underwear is constructed with negative ease, meaning the garment is smaller than the body. The garment will be constantly stretched while worn and fits snugly to the body.
17.5" x 2 - 39" = -4" Ease
The tank top is 4 inches smaller than the body around the chest.
This is only possible with the right materials like rip jersey.
Fitted Knits (e.g., Sweaters, Joggers, Active Wear)
Despite being stretchable most knits like sweaters and joggers made from jersey and terry include some ease to allow for layering, comfort and movement.
20.5" x 2 - 39" = 2" Ease
The fitted sweater is 2" wider than the body chest circumference, which is still considered to be 'tight'.
Woven Garments like Shirts and Pants
Non-stretch fabrics require more ease to allow natural movements like reaching or sitting without pulling on seams.
Example: Classic Shirt
23" x 2 - 39" (chest) = 7" Ease
7" is at the upper end for a regular fit. This amount of ease allows for comfortable movement and provides flexibility for pattern adjustments adding darts or seams.
Example: Classic Dress Pants
21.1" x 2 - 39" (hips) = 3.2"
This amount of ease allows for comfortable leg movement and provides enough space to access the pockets and to carry a phone.
Hips have less ease compared to the chest because our legs move differently than our arms. For example, vests require less ease than garments with attached sleeves.
Jackets and Coats
Example: Classic Trench Coat
24.2 " x 2 - 39" = 9.4"
9.4" total ease in this classic trench coat is on the higher side for a regular fit, aligning well with today's trend toward more relaxed styles. It allows to wear a jacket underneath without problems.
Oversized Styles
Oversized clothes intentionally use a lot of ease for a very relaxed look.
27.5" x 2 - 39" = 16" Ease
16" of ease is a good example for an exaggerated oversized style like a kimono. These garments are designed to be massively oversized in order to achieve a certain aesthetic.
Table for Ease in Menswear
The following table serves as an example to get a general idea and should not be considered definitive.
| Garment | Fitted | Regular | Loose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shirts (Chest) | 3.5 – 5 " | 5 – 7 " | 7 – 10 " |
| Jackets (Chest) | 5 – 6 " | 6 – 7.5 " | 7.5 – 10 " |
| Coats (Chest) | 6 – 8 " | 8 – 10 " | 10 – 16 " |
| Pants (Hip) | 2 – 3 " | 3 – 4 " | 4 – 6 " |
Summary
Ease is essential in garment construction to ensure fit and functionality. It allows for comfort, layering, movement, accommodates fabric characteristics, and serves the intended design aesthetics.